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Panthers break tie in third, beat Jets 6-3

Evan Foley's second goal of the game, at 13:56 of the third period, snapped a 3-3 tie and sent the Port Hope Panthers on their way to a 6-3 victory over the Amherstview Jets in Provincial Junior Hockey League playoff action on Tuesday night in Port Hope.

The win lifted the Panthers into a 2-1 lead in the Tod Division best-of-seven final, with Game 4 scheduled for Thursday night in Amherstview, beginning at 7 p.m.

Foley's goal ended a spirited Amherstview comeback that saw the visiting Jets net goals just 16 seconds apart around the six-minute mark of the third to erase a 3-1 deficit.

The teams had played through 20 minutes tied 1-1. Foley scored for Port Hope at 4:57 and rookie Ben Ohlmann, with his first goal of the post-season, tying it up for Amherstview only 1:36 later.

Cameron Harris, on a power play in the middle part of the second period, put the Panthers up 2-1 before Dayton Kent, 1:55 into the third, made it a 3-1 game.

Then came the Jets' quick strike that tied the score, 3-3. Joey Mayer scored unassisted at 5:50 and Ty Norman followed 16 seconds later.

Following Foley's game-winning goal — his team-leading eighth in seven playoff games — rookie Christian Streef upped the margin to two goals 2:36 later. Kent, with his second goal and fourth point of the game, ended the scoring into an empty net with 36 seconds remaining.

Kent's four points left him tied for the team lead on playoff points with 13 (5G, 8A) in seven games. Veteran defenceman Cam McGill, who picked up an assists, also has 13 (3G, 10A). Foley and Streef both counted three points in the game

Port Hope outshot Amherstview 51-27 in the contest, including a reported 24-7 in the third period.

Keegan Paulette received his first post-season start in goal for Amherstview — after Alexei Masanko started the previous nine — and faced 50 shots, stopping 45 of them. Sheldon Calbury gained the win with a 24-save performance.

"Keegan gave us a chance to win. He played a great game," said Jets general manager-coach Denis Duchesne, who reported that Masanko had the flu. "The game could have gone either way."